Department for Transport

Road Works

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to (1) review the process by which utilities open road surfaces so as to better manage traffic during on-going roadworks, and (2) put in place procedures to govern the lasting re-instatement of such roads once works have been completed.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department issues statutory guidance covering the process by which utility companies open road surfaces. The ‘Specification for the Reinstatement of Openings in Highways’ was reviewed and updated during 2019. The Department for Transport plans to publish the updated version 4 of the technical specification later this year. It will improve the quality and performance of utility reinstatements once it comes into force. The Department has spent over £10 million developing a new digital service for planning and managing street works. It will be used by all local authorities and utility companies from 1 July 2020. The service, known as Street Manager, will also record all reinstatements, inspections and any defects that are noted from such inspections. This will enable all those involved to monitor the quality and performance of reinstatements and use the data to ensure this is improved.

Driving: Licensing

earl attlee: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to allow public service vehicle licence holders to drive two-axle, category C, heavy goods vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government has no current plans to allow public service vehicle (category D) licence holders to drive any heavy goods vehicles (category C) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Legislation requires the driver to have passed a test in the category of the vehicle being driven. Although buses and coaches share many similar driving characteristics with lorries, there are significant differences in the handling, braking with a load, and automatic and semi-automatic transmission systems. Without specific training, bus drivers may not be familiar with these differences, which may have significant road safety implications. The safety of vulnerable road users, including pedestrians or cyclists is a priority for this Government. Only those drivers who have undertaken appropriate training in the vehicle and demonstrated competence by passing a test can drive category C vehicles. The Government will keep under review the availability of drivers to ensure critical supply chains are able to continue servicing NHS and supermarket food supplies during the pandemic.

Ferries: Coronavirus

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specific assistance they intend to provide to ferry industries to (1) ensure there is a sustainable ferry industry in the longer-term, and (2) safeguard security of supply of medicines, foods and other vital imported goods during the current COVID-19 pandemic. [T]

baroness vere of norbiton: The Government is engaging regularly with the maritime sector, including on issues related to its long-term recovery. To support companies through these challenging times the Government announced an unprecedent package of financial measures worth £350 billion. As part of that, a full range of support schemes has been made available to UK businesses and my department is working closely with maritime operators to consider how these measures can apply to them. In addition, on 24 April we announced a package of funding to support lifeline services and critical freight routes. This includes up to £10.5m for lifeline services to the Isles of Scilly and the Isle of Wight, up to £17m for critical freight routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and support for up to 26 critical freight routes between Great Britain and mainland Europe. We will continue to work closely with industry to monitor the implementation of these measures to continue these vital services.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that all motor insurers offer customers a rebate during the COVID-19 pandemic. [T]

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department continues to monitor the situation and is in contact with the Association of British Insurers about measures to help drivers. Although this is ultimately a commercial decision for insurers we welcome and encourage companies to take steps to support customers during this difficult time.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to appoint an economist to the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies; and if not, why not. [T]

lord callanan: The Government makes decisions based on the best scientific evidence, along with consideration of the economic, operational, social and policy implications of any interventions that might be introduced. The remit of SAGE is to provide science advice to the Government, but this is just one part of the picture. Scientific advice from SAGE is often considered alongside advice from other specialisms such as economics. As new scientific questions emerge, the participants at SAGE will change to provide the best available scientific evidence at that time.

Department of Health and Social Care

Life Expectancy: Males

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the drop in median income for the poorest fifth of people identified in the Office for National Statistics Average household income, UK: financial year ending 2019 release, published on 5 March, on the life expectancy of boys born in (1) the North West, (2) Yorkshire and the Humber, (3) the East Midlands, and (4) the West Midlands, regions in the 2016-18 period.

lord bethell: The Government has made no such assessment.The Office for National Statistics published statistics on health state life expectancies by national deprivation deciles, England and Wales 2016 to 2018 on 27 March 2020.We want to level up people’s opportunity to have a long and healthy life, whoever they are, wherever they live and whatever their background or social circumstances.

Coronavirus: Insurance

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that COVID-19 will be listed as a qualifying disease for insurance payouts.

lord bethell: On 5 March 2020, the Government added COVID-19 to its list of notifiable diseases.Insurers’ policies that cover notifiable diseases will typically only cover a specific subset of notifiable diseases (such as cholera or anthrax) that the insurer will reference in the policy documentation. These policies will exclude any notifiable disease not on the insurer’s list, as well as future/unknown diseases such as COVID-19. The price that the insurer charges for the policy is modelled against the risk posed by this set list of diseases.Some businesses will have purchased add-ons for their insurance that cover for ‘unspecified notifiable diseases’. These policies effectively cover any disease listed as a notifiable disease, enabling the business to claim for losses for all notifiable diseases as well as from diseases that are unknown at the point the policy is written.The effect of the Government adding COVID-19 to its list of notifiable diseases is to ensure that businesses with unspecified notifiable disease cover are able to make a claim – subject to the terms and conditions in their policy. For example, someone infected with COVID-19 may need to have been on the premises.

Disease Control

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to establish a centralised disease control centre, similar to the National Heath Command Centre in Taiwan.

lord bethell: The Department has a dedicated COVID-19 incident response team, set up in January 2020, which works closely with the National Health Service and Public Health England to co-ordinate central Government’s response to the virus.

NHS: Protective Clothing

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that NHS medical staff are being given out of date equipment and that the new protective equipment advice inadequately protects staff.

lord bethell: NHS Supply Chain and Public Health England have worked with manufacturers and/or independent testing houses to formally test certain products, to see if it is possible to extend their life via accelerated age testing. The products that pass these stringent tests are subject to relabelling with a new shelf-life (as appropriate) and can continue to be used, all that are not up to standard will be destroyed.

Influenza: Death

baroness altmann: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people are estimated to have died of influenza in the last five years; andwhether either (1) a monthly, or (2) a quarterly, breakdown of those figures is available for each such year.

lord bethell: The number of flu cases and deaths as a result of related complications varies each flu season. The average number of estimated deaths in England over the last five seasons (2014/15 to 2018/19) was 17,000 deaths annually. This ranged from 1,692 deaths last season (2018/19) to 28,330 deaths in 2014/15. Of these deaths, many were in people with underlying health conditions.The following table shows the number of deaths associated with influenza observed through the FluMOMO algorithm with confidence intervals, England, 2014 to 2015 season to 2018 to 2019.SeasonAll ages0-4 years5-14 years15-64 years65+ years2014/1528,330 (27,462 to 29,208)91 (79 to 104)13 (9 to 18)701 (635 to 769)25,143 (24,368 to 25926)2015/1611,875 (11,237 – 12,2524)84 (72 to 96)11 (6 to 16)1,259 (1,178 to 1,342)9,459 (8,941 to 9,987)2016/1718,009 (17,260 to 18,786)77 (66 to 89)20 (14 to 26)578 (519 to 639)15,167 (14,546 to 15,798)2017/1826,403 (17,260 to 18,768)6 93 to 10)2 (0 to 5)1,462 (1,373 to 1,553)22,237 (21,482 to 23,000)2018/19*1,692 (1,352 to 2,056)3 (0 to 7)10 (6 to 15)192 (142 to 241)914 (666 to 1,186)*Data up to epidemiological week 15 2019Notes:Source: Surveillance of Influenza and other respiratory viruses in the UK 2018 to 2019 report,The above annual data is modelled data.Influenza related mortality data from hospital confirmed deaths are published weekly, but the modelled data on all deaths due to flu related complications are not available at a monthly or quarterly level. However, a weekly flu report is published throughout the flu season, providing information, data on flu cases and cases of mortality.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to produce an estimate of the actual number of new COVID-19 cases in the UK each day, to compare against reported cases.

lord bethell: The Government relies on modelling work undertaken by several academic groups, who report to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) through its various subgroups. SAGE will continue to publish the evidence that it considers.From modelling and current data on the outbreak, it is likely that the number of confirmed United Kingdom cases will rise. The number of COVID-19 cases will depend on the implementation of and adherence to public health measures, and the success of those measures in suppressing transmission of the virus and the numbers of cases of infection.

General Practitioners

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government, under the named GP policy,whether a general practice is allowed to consider that the role of the named GP is for administrative purposes only with the responsibilities being delegated more widely between doctors within that general practice.

lord bethell: The legal responsibilities of the named accountable general practitioner (GP), since the introduction of the named GP scheme in April 2014, do not allow general practices to consider such a role to be for administrative purposes only. This is because patients can request to see a particular GP, although they may have to wait longer for an appointment if they do so.In addition, further guidance published in March 2015 for the 2015/16 General Medical Services Contract provides further information on named accountable GPs for all patients. It makes clear that “Where the patient expresses a preference as to which GP they have been assigned, the practice must make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request”.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect personal protective equipment in storage areas to be distributed to front line medical practitioners in hospitals and GP surgeries

lord bethell: As of 14 April, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak we have delivered over 923 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to 58,000 different health and care settings including National Health Service trusts, general practitioners, pharmacies and community providers. We have provided PPE equipment to over 26,000 care homes including home care and hospices across the country. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, over 48 million PPE items were delivered.We are working around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. We have brought together the NHS, industry and the armed forces to create a new nationwide PPE distribution network, delivering critical PPE supplies to those who need it.We have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week helpline for those experiencing supply disruption with business as usual ordering channels. Where there may be any shortages, we act on this immediately. Local Resilience Forums are also supporting care homes, hospices, home care and primary care in getting hold of PPE equipment.

Health and Social Services: Protective Clothing

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will provide hospital and social care maintenance workers, such as electricians and plumbers, with personal protective equipment to prevent them contributing to the spread of COVID-19.

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that hospital and social care maintenance workers, such as electricians and plumbers, are refusing to work because they do not have personal protective equipment to prevent them contributing to the spread of COVID-19.

lord bethell: Government guidance now requires social distancing and to only work in the same location if it is absolutely essential. Tradespeople should therefore be practising social distancing where possible.The National Health Service is issuing guidance regularly to all parts of the health service on infection prevention and personal protective equipment (PPE). Regularly updated guidance is available online on GOV.UK.This guidance includes advice on how to keep staff and patients safe and we would expect any healthcare organisation to inform visiting tradespeople of any specific extra measures that need to be taken in the location they are visiting.People working in health and care settings should be supplied with any PPE equipment that is clinically required for the job that they are doing or the setting that they are in. Regularly updated guidance is available online on GOV.UK.

Health Services: Protective Clothing

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are takingto purchase personal protection equipment for all medical, nursing and health care workers; and what consideration they have given to purchasing such equipment from Randox Laboratories.

lord bethell: The Government’s Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) plan was published on 10 April 2020 and can be found online at GOV.UK.As “Strand 3 - Future Supply” of the Government’s PPE Plan details, we have set up a cross-Government PPE sourcing unit to secure new supply lines from across the world and a call to industry has been issued to companies at home to manufacture and supply additional PPE at scale.We welcome support from other manufacturers who wish to offer their production facilities where they can meet the required specifications for use by the National Health Service and care sector. New offers can continue to be made online via GOV.UK at ‘Offer coronavirus (COVID-19) support from your business’.

NHS: Protective Clothing

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much personal protection equipmentNHS England has (1) purchased, and (2) supplied, to frontline NHS staff in the last four weeks.

lord bethell: As of 14 April, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak we have delivered over 923 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to 58,000 different health and care settings including National Health Service trusts, general practitioners, pharmacies and community providers. We have provided PPE equipment to over 26,000 care homes including home care and hospices across the country. Over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, over 48 million PPE items have been delivered.We are working around the clock to give the NHS and the wider social care sector the equipment and support they need to tackle this outbreak. We have brought together the NHS, industry and the Armed Forces to create a new nationwide PPE distribution network, delivering critical PPE supplies to those who need it.We have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week helpline for those experiencing supply disruption with business as usual ordering channels. Where there may be any shortages, we act on this immediately. Local Resilience Forums are also supporting care homes, hospices, home care and primary care in getting hold of PPE equipment.

Coronavirus

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of patients with COVID-19 who have been asymptomatic; and of those, how many were subsequently treated.

lord bethell: On 20 March, the Government published scientific evidence supporting the United Kingdom Government response on COVID-19, including modelling on the dynamics of transmission of the virus.The proportion of cases who are asymptomatic is difficult to estimate. Information about the scientific evidence used to support the UK Government response can be found online via GOV.UK.Those with COVID-19 who are asymptomatic are unlikely to be treated, as they would not have health issues.

Pharmacy: Coronavirus

baroness mcintosh of pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with NHS England about why it has not triggered Regulation 61 of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013 (SI 2013/349) to allow for the flexible provision of pharmaceutical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bethell: The Department is in regular discussions with NHS England and NHS Improvement over the provision of services during this pandemic.The Secretary of State has enabled Regulation 61 of the National Health Service (Pharmaceutical and Local Pharmaceutical Services) Regulations 2013. Regulation 61 allows NHS England and NHS Improvement to commission a dispensing doctor to provide pharmaceutical services to patients to whom the dispensing doctor is not otherwise entitled to provide pharmaceutical services during an emergency.The prerequisite is the temporary closure of pharmacy premises which results, in NHS England and NHS Improvement’s opinion, in inadequate provision of pharmaceutical services in an area. There are currently few pharmacies closed across England and whether this extra provision is needed, in any particular area, is an operational decision for NHS England and NHS Improvement’s regional teams.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken jointly with the EU to tackle COVID-19.

lord bethell: Infectious diseases such as COVID-19 do not respect borders and we are working closely with the European Union, European countries and global partners to tackle this global pandemic.As the United Kingdom is no longer an EU Member State, we do not attend EU Health Ministers’ meetings. However, we are engaging constructively with the EU to respond to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. The UK continues to attend EU Health Security Committee meetings related to COVID-19 and shares information through the EU’s Early Warning and Response System. The UK has also confirmed that it will participate in the EU’s latest Joint Procurement round relating to therapeutics and attends meetings of the Joint Procurement Steering Committee.In addition, we have engaged bilaterally with the European Commission on our respective responses to COVID-19, including on the issue of personal protective equipment and procurement.Our responses will continue to benefit from this international cooperation, and we are committed to continuing this as we move into future stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they have provided to companies, institutions, and any other organisations, in the UK which are engaged in the development of a COVID-19 vaccine.

lord bethell: On 21 April 2020, the Government announced a total of £42.5 million to support clinical trials for the vaccines being developed at the University of Oxford and Imperial College London. This funding is in addition to the £4.7 million previously granted to the University of Oxford, Imperial College London and Public Health England for vaccine research through the joint UK Research and Innovation – Medical Research Council and the Department, via the National Institute for Health Research ‘Covid-19 Rapid Response Research Call’. This follows the Government’s £250 million pledge to develop a vaccine, and announcement of a new Vaccines Taskforce, putting the United Kingdom at the forefront of international efforts to fight the virus.

Care Homes and Hospices: Coronavirus

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has to provide a ‘letter of comfort’ to allow care homes and hospices to reuse medication in an emergency, when prescribed for another resident, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government which regulations they intend to waive to allow GPs to re-purpose anticipatory medicines that are unused by patients at home.

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow hospices and hospitals to put unused anticipatory medicines into stock if no longer needed for the named patient for whom they were dispensed.

lord bethell: In hospitals, schemes already exist to re-use medicines supplied and maintained under the control of the hospital. Those medicines are under the supervision of health care professionals, such that they can safely be re-supplied against the prescription or direction of an authorised prescriber for another patient where they are no longer needed for the original patient.Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for managing medicines in care homes recommends that care home providers must ensure that medicines prescribed for a resident are not used by another resident.The quality, integrity and safety of medicines are paramount and the best way to assure this is for pharmacies to supply medicines obtained through the regulated supply chain, appropriately labelled for individual patients to be used only by those patients.However, in the unprecedented COVID-19 situation, consideration is being given by the Department and NHS England and NHS Improvement for the use of unwanted medicines in certain specified circumstances, for example, end of life care. It is currently not envisaged that legislative changes will be required to support such a change in practice.

Coronavirus: Medical Treatments

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of trials taking place in Sao Paulo of Azithromycin and Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19.

lord bethell: The Department is considering carefully all available evidence around the potential of different drugs for use in treating COVID-19, including from clinical trials in the United Kingdom and overseas.Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are not currently licensed to treat COVID-19-related symptoms or prevent infection. Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin are both being tested through clinical trials in the UK. These clinical trials are ongoing, so no conclusions have yet been reached on the safety and effectiveness of these medicines to treat COVID-19.

Coronavirus

lord butler of brockwell: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their scientific advice rules out the possibility that COVID-19 was present in the UK in December 2019. [T]

lord bethell: On 31 December 2019, the World Health Organization was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.On 12 January 2020, it was announced that a novel coronavirus had been identified in samples obtained from cases and that initial analysis of virus genetic sequences suggested that this was the cause of the outbreak. This virus is referred to as SARS-CoV-2, and the associated disease as COVID-19.The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom were identified on 30 January 2020. Whilst it is unlikely that COVID-19 was present in the UK in December 2019, we are unable to rule out the possibility since in December 2019 the virus had not yet been identified. Public Health England developed a pan-coronavirus assay many years ago and were testing samples using this assay throughout January and did not detect any other cases.

Coronavirus: Clinical Trials

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many COVID-19 vaccine trials are underway presently in the UK.

lord bethell: The Government is currently funding two United Kingdom vaccine candidates; one at the University of Oxford led by Professor Sarah Gilbert and one at Imperial College London led by Professor Robin Shattock.Imperial’s vaccine candidate is in pre-clinical testing and the University of Oxford started Phase 1 (human safety) trials on Thursday 23 April. Oxford have recruited healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 55 to take part in these trials.

Coronavirus: Hospital Beds

baroness manzoor: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) critical care beds have been used in intensive care units, and (2) intensive care units have experienced a shortage of critical care beds.

lord bethell: The number of critical care beds in use changes over time, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. NHS England’s published critical care beds data is attached. The latest data is February 2020 which provides the numbers of critical care beds available in England.Since the last published figures, critical care capacity has been increased to ensure the National Health Service can provide effective and appropriate care to patients critically ill with COVID-19, while also keeping other critically ill patients safe from infection.The NHS will be provided the resources it needs to keep the public safe at this time.



HL3332_critical_care_beds
(Excel SpreadSheet, 61.5 KB)

Coronavirus: Intensive Care

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government which NHS regions have had to transfer patients to Nightingale hospitals due to a lack of critical care beds in non-Nightingale hospitals; and when such transfers had to occur.

lord bethell: Availability of critical care beds in response to COVID-19 is being managed on a national and regional level. Nightingale hospitals were designed specifically to treat patients with COVID-19.Critical care capacity has been increased to ensure the National Health Service can provide effective and appropriate care to patients critically ill with COVID-19, while also keeping other critically ill patients safe from infection.

Coronavirus: Clinical Trials

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK is participating in the World Health Organisation’s Solidarity Trial.

lord bethell: The United Kingdom is not currently participating in the Solidarity Trial, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, as the same compounds are already being tested in existing UK trials. Lopinavir/ritonavir is being trialled in the RECOVERY and REMAP-CAP trials; interferon beta-1a is being trialled in REMAP-CAP; and hydroxychloroquine is being trialled in the RECOVERY, REMAP-CAP and PRINCIPLE clinical trials. The UK trials have been designed to be compatible with the Solidarity Trial so that UK data can be shared with the WHO platform.

Department for International Development

Jerusalem: Coronavirus

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to assist Palestinians in East Jerusalem to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK has pledged £744 million to support the global humanitarian response to COVID-19, including the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We have delivered additional vital support in the Occupied Palestinian Territories by providing £840,000 to WHO and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity. This funding was provided to support activities in the Inter-Agency Plan for COVID-19. We have encouraged the UN and the Palestinian Authority to ensure that the revised plan reflects the needs in East Jerusalem. The UK continues to monitor the situation and coordinate closely with international partners.

Department for Education

Pre-school Education: Coronavirus

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) short-, and (2) long-term, financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early years childcare providers in receipt of local authority funding who have restricted access to the Job Retention Scheme. [T]

baroness berridge: Our immediate objective is to ensure that critical workers have the childcare that they need to do their jobs during this crisis and that vulnerable children have access to early years provision. Maintaining a healthy childcare market in the longer term is also crucially important, which is why the government will continue to pay for free early years entitlement places from the Dedicated Schools Grant, as well as ensuring early years providers have access to other government support schemes for businesses whose operations have been severely affected by COVID-19. Further information on the support available is included in the guidance ‘Actions for early years and childcare providers during the coronavirus outbreak’ which is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures/coronavirus-covid-19-early-years-and-childcare-closures.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

baroness lister of burtersett: To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisions are in place to support Universal Credit claimants who need to make a non-digital claim.

baroness stedman-scott: The Department takes seriously the need to support claimants, and wants Universal Credit to be easy to access. It is designed to be a ‘digital-first’ service, ensuring we make best use of technology to deliver a modern and effective working-age welfare system. This allows our staff to concentrate on those people who require additional support through different channels. Our Universal Credit Claimant Survey, found that 98 per cent of claimants have internet access and did claim online, and the majority of those said they found the claim process overall to be straightforward. A copy of the survey is attached. For those that are still unable to access or use digital services, or are not able to travel, assistance to make and maintain their claim is available via the Freephone Universal Credit helpline – which is clearly displayed on GOV.UK. In addition, Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland have been delivering the ‘Help to Claim’ service since April 2019. The Citizens Advice ‘Help to Claim’ service offers tailored, practical support to help people make a Universal Credit claim up to receiving their first full correct payment on time, and is currently available online and by telephone. Although the Department offers comprehensive support for claimants to use our digital service, there will be occasions when people are unable to make their claim online, so telephone applications can be accepted. In these instances, information normally available through a claimant’s online account will be communicated in an alternative format, which is best suited to an individual’s circumstances.



Universal Credit Claimant Survey
(PDF Document, 2.81 MB)

Universal Credit: EU Nationals

lord pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether citizens with pre-settled status will be entitled to Universal Credit during the COVID-19 pandemic; and what steps they have taken to support such citizens who have (1) faced discrimination, and (2) are unable to find a job.

baroness stedman-scott: Those granted pre-settled status have the same access to benefits as they did prior to the introduction of the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). EEA citizens with pre-settled status are eligible to claim DWP income-related benefits such as Universal Credit if they are exercising a qualifying EU Treaty Right. This includes those with a worker or self-employed status and EEA workers with retained worker status who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own. Government measures to support workers and their families through Covid-19 are also available for EEA citizens with pre-settled status under the EUSS who meet the eligibility criteria. This includes the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-employed Income Support Scheme and Statutory Sick Pay.EEA citizens with pre-settled status can also claim contributory benefits providing they meet eligibility criteria.

Cabinet Office

Emergencies: Risk Assessment

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government which department is responsible for (1) maintaining the National Risk Register, and (2) ensuring all other departments have up-to-date plans to mitigate risks contained in the National Risk Register; and whether the Ministerial Code includes a duty to ensure departmental risk plans are up-to-date.

lord true: The Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) within the Cabinet Office is responsible for maintaining the National Risk Register, working closely with Government departments.Government departments are responsible for identifying and assessing risks. Each department is also responsible for overseeing levels of preparedness within their sectors, ensuring they have up-to-date plans to mitigate and respond to risks contained in the National Risk Register.The Ministerial Code sets out the standards of conduct expected of ministers and how they discharge their duties.

Cobra: Coronavirus

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government when COBRA first met in 2020 to discussCOVID-19; and on whatdate they rated the risk of the virus to UK public health as high.

lord true: The Prime Minister and Cabinet have been regularly briefed on COVID-19 since the outbreak of the virus. These issues have also regularly been discussed at meetings of the COBR Committee. Additionally, since 16 March, a series of Cabinet Committees have convened to support the Government’s efforts. Specific information on the frequency and content of Cabinet Committees and other Ministerial meetings is not routinely disclosed.

Brexit: Coronavirus

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to extending the Brexit transition period past 31 December as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bowness: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to extend the Brexit transition period in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord true: The Government was elected on a manifesto which made clear the transition period would end on 31 December 2020. This is now enshrined in primary legislation and it remains our policy.Extending the transition period would simply prolong the negotiations, prolong business uncertainty, and delay the moment of control of our borders. Extending the transition period would mean we will have to make further payments into the EU budget. It would also keep us bound by EU legislation, at a point when we need legislative and economic flexibility to manage the UK response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Finance

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funding is available to help with the cost of installing (1) superfast, and (2) gigabit-capable, broadband to residential premises, either individually or as part of a Community Fibre Partnership; and whether such funding is available throughout the UK.

baroness barran: Under the Government’s Superfast Broadband programme, premises that are included in a rollout programme do not need to pay for the upgrade to their broadband speeds. They are, however, liable for the recurring costs associated with taking out a superfast service once the upgrade has been completed. These publicly funded rollout programmes are taking place across the UK. To date £1.8 billion of public funding has been invested into this programme, and a further £836 million of new procurement is underway utilising a variety of public funding sources. Delivery under the Superfast programme is now utilising Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) technology where possible. This technology provides homes and businesses with a fast, reliable and future-proof connection. Furthermore commercial build operators are also rolling out FTTP to homes and businesses across the UK. This commercial build activity is not utilising public funding. Through our Rural Gigabit Connectivity Programme (RGC), DCMS runs a voucher scheme that can be used by rural communities across the UK to reduce the cost of installing gigabit-capable connectivity. This provides a voucher worth up to £3,500 for eligible small businesses and vouchers worth up to £1,500 for residents.Community Fibre Partnerships are an initiative offered by Openreach. Openreach will work with local communities to build a customised fibre solution to bring fibre broadband to homes and businesses. A joint funding arrangement is put in place, which means Openreach will contribute to some of the costs and the rest is funded by the community. Our vouchers can be used in an Openreach Community Fibre Partnership to reduce the costs borne by the community. It is worth noting, however, that Openreach is not the only supplier offering community fibre solutions, and we have over 700 network suppliers registered on the scheme. Our voucher website enables residents or small businesses to enter their postcode and see which suppliers are active in their area.

Television: Licensing

lord foulkes of cumnock: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the BBC about plans to charge those aged over 75 for a TV licence, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness barran: The BBC and the government continue to discuss the national Coronavirus situation. The BBC’s priority over the coming period will be to do everything it can to serve the nation at this uniquely challenging time. As the national broadcaster, the BBC has a vital role to play in supplying information to the public in the weeks and months ahead. The future of the over 75 concession and the costs of the concession are matters for the BBC following the passage of the Digital Economy Act 2017. Recognising the exceptional circumstances, the BBC Board has decided to change the start date of the new policy. We will bring this into force on 1 August and the BBC will keep the issue under review as the situation continues to evolve.